Handshakes and Heartbreaks
by candybracelets
Summary: Two souls were supposed to be bound forever by a love that endured so many trials. When half of that heart leaves to chase a dream, how will the other react? What if someone else was thrown into the mix? Will the love survive then? -Revised-
1. Don't Look Down

Disclaimer: I own nothing that deals with the Power Rangers. You all know how that goes! Another Tommy/Kim love story as typical teens.

A/N: For those who have read my stories, thanks! It means a lot to me. This story has been on hiatus long enough. While Chapter 6 is being finished, I edited the previous chapters. Enjoy!

Don't Look Down: Chapter One

A petite woman took a deep breath and stepped onto the foamed mat that stretched out before her. This was to be just a quick run of the new performance she had been striving for, smoothing out any flaws she had, if there were any. Turning slightly over her shoulder, she gave a nod to a man seated beside a CD player and turned back to focus on the routine. The soft melody played and the young woman threw her hands toward the ceiling, a huge smile plastered on her delicate features. Rising up on her toes as much as she could, she rounded her arms and began her performance.

"Nice form, Kimberly. Watch those arms," her coach called to her over the music's soft tones as the female began her movements. Her quad pirouette was perfect; her toned legs were controlled in the multiple spins while her head whipped around in time. On a half turn, she crossed her arms tightly to her chest and dipped her head down to finish the turn. Her mistake was easy to spot. She looked down towards the mat and closed her eyes, going by feeling alone. Normally, this was not something a performer would do, especially in a major competition. If done correctly without any imperfections, very few points would be given. If not done correctly, points would be taken away from the final score.

"Don't look down" the male yelled at her, obviously irritated by this antic. "You're going to lose focus and shift out of balance. It will cost you points at the competitions! You cannot afford little mistakes that you can easily avoid. Focus!"

With a smile still in place as if she never heard him, she stopped in the middle of the floor. She was in her own private world. Shifting her body to the sides with grace, she gradually extended one leg up, cupping the heel in her hand. As the leg came up, so did her head in perfect unison. Still with grace and fluid movements, she moved into a simple Arabesque. Her foot was planted firmly on the mat as the other one went out straight behind her, extending her arms for more appeal. She held the pose for just a moment, bringing her foot down to the mat as the music switched beats. This one was more upbeat and fast and her routine would look more promising from here on out.

With a shimmy of her shoulders and a wink to the "crowd", the small framed woman had an outburst of speed and ran towards a far corner of the mat. She moved into her first tumble: a simple double twist. Gymnastics were more of her element and felt the most ease in this part of the short routine. With as much height as she could, she executed the move and landed it easily. Not to miss a single beat, she bent her legs and did a series of back flips, barely sticking her last one that was no handed, stumbling forward slightly on the landing, still smiling nonetheless as if nothing went wrong.

"What are you doing?! You aren't paying attention now. Get your head out of the clouds. You have done this section a million times, and that has been the only time you have screwed it up." The man, known as Coach Schmidt, abruptly shut off the music and stormed over to the female. "I am your coach. You are supposed to listen to the advice I give you, not ignore it," he ranted. He balled his fists and crossed them firmly over his broad chest, glaring at her as if he dared her to make a comment to contradict him.

She stood there coolly, eying him as he walked toward her. Her hands went to her hips and stood in a defensive position. Her body language said she was not in a happy mood as well. She was not used to having her music turned off and screamed at, even if she did mess up. She was used to being the best and this would not do.

"I was doing just fine!" she raged back at him. "One tiny step and it's the only time I've done it. There's no reason to lose your temper. It's not like it was anything major!"Opening her mouth to say more of what was on her mind, she was cut off with his booming voice.

"You were not! You couldn't even manage to land your flip with the minor problem. I would hate to see what else you would mess up," was the sarcastic reply. He was finally standing before her, looking down at her with much anger. Yes, he was angry at her. But it was only because he knew the level of perfection that Kimberly always reached for. He would be a horrible coach if he let her slide with tiny things. He had to remind her constantly to be conscious of the minor details as well as the larger ones. Despite of their disagreements, he wanted great things to become of her and he would be there to help her achieve her goal.

"If you hadn't stopped me, I could have finished it with ease, even with the small mistakes," she snarled up at him. "This isn't the competition yet. Give me a break!" Even though she was tiny, she was never one to back down, especially lately. She had been training almost nonstop for the past two months, ever since she left Angel Grove, at the end of her junior year at seventeen. The poor girl was nearing exhaustion and was doing her best. After all, some of her inner strength to carry on had been left behind so she would be able to chase her dream of Pan Globals.

"I don't want to hear it! Leave now. Come back when you are ready to be a winner and not until then," he screamed with his finger towards the door. His temper finally got the best of him.

She gave no other words and simply walked off of the mat, never once turning to look back at her coach. She stopped briefly to pick up the pink gym bag and stride towards the doors as calmly as she could manage. Twisting the handle, she opened it as softly as she could only to slam it hard behind her once she walked out.

The cool air from outside felt good on her face as the wind whipped a few stray hairs. "If only they could see Kimberly Hart now, struggling with moves that I have never had a problem with" she muttered to herself. "I left Angel Grove and Tommy for this? It can't be worth it, but I can't go back now. I have come too far to give up so easily. I won't fail myself and everyone else!" She had such a determination that was characteristic to her, among other ones. Tommy, Jason, Billy, Rocky, Adam, Zach, Trini, Aisha, and Kat were all counting on her to complete her dream. They would always support her decision; they all did even now. She would not let any of them down. Not for anything in the world. She would be the best. No matter what it would cost her in the end.

Kimberly looked at the watch that she kept around her wrist. It was still too early to head back to her lonely apartment. She let out a soft sigh that was lost in the wind. Still with some pent up energy, she headed to a more public gym where she could hopefully train in peace. She grinned to herself, knowing the owner would be thrilled to have her there.

She chose to walk to the other gym; it was not that far from her position. And besides, walking was good exercise for her; it kept her muscles well stretched and toned. Fitness and strength were two keys of being a gymnast. A short walk later, she reached the large glass windows, waving to a few of the familiar faces before pushing the doors to walk in.

"Kimberly!" came the cry of joy from her right as soon as the doors were open and she entered the gym. Before she could even say a word of greeting, her body was wrapped in the arms of a well muscled man who picked her up and hugged her to his chest.

"It's about time you came back here. Your beam has not been touched since the last time you were here, except for the occasional people that come to just look at it. It's more or less a shrine to you, love. Be flattered," the male teased her.

"You shouldn't tease me, David," Kimberly said with a dismissive wave of her hand as she squirmed in the man's grasp. The owner, David, laughed and released her, placing her gently back to the floor. He was nothing but smiles when it came to her.

"You're probably right. I might have a certain male come in here one day and threaten me," David said with a wicked smile in reference to Tommy Oliver, who he had never met yet, but heard much about in any case. "From what you have told me about said boyfriend, I think he could give me a run for my money. When do I get to meet this mystery man, anyway? Do you have to keep him hidden away? That hot?"

Kimberly snickered and lightly punched him in the arm and gave him the answers to only some of his questions. "Oh, you'll have the chance to meet him, probably in a few weeks. He wants to visit me so bad. It sucks to have to keep saying no," she said with a puff of breath to blow her bangs away from her eyes to no avail. "While he's here, I might drop him off in your capable hands. He'll need something to do besides watch me practice all day. He can be slightly nerve racking sometimes," she paused, only to add, "especially if I'm not doing that well lately. He'll want to know why I'm not up to my standards and worry over me. That's not what I need right now," she added and shook her head.

"He'll be more than welcome here, as you always are. Now, why don't you get over there to your beam and just have a little fun. Word gets around how much you have been practicing. And by the looks of you, you need it," David said with a playful push towards the beam. "Besides, you'll be back to your old self soon. Give it some more time," he said encouragingly. They had only known each other for a short while, but they had already developed a close relationship.

"Alright, alright. I get the idea. Geez," Kimberly said rolling her eyes in mock annoyance and walked to the beam. She lightly ran her hand over the smooth beam, dragging her fingers across it. David kept it just the way she liked it. Tugging off her lightweight jacket and tossing it to the floor, she lifted her small stature onto the beam, slowly rising up into a standing position. She started off with the basics; walking straight lines back and forth. She did this to constantly be aware of her balance, whether she was doing easy or difficult moves.

Feeling at ease with just a few minutes of the walking, she moved to leg lifts. While on one leg, she moved the one in the air to the front of her, lifting it as far up as it would go. Still perfectly balanced, her leg went straight out to the side, finally ending straight out behind her. Carefully placing her foot back on the beam, she proceeds to do the same with the other, all of which were in sequence.

"Looking good, as always," was David's loud voice from across the room on a weight machine. He was always keeping an eye on her, like a protector. She was independent; he knew this but never wanted her to get seriously hurt. He would blame himself if something was to ever happen to her while she was at his gym, even if he couldn't prevent it from happening.

"Well, duh," came Kimberly's playful reply as she shifted her weight backwards into a handstand. Her hands gripped tightly to the beam and pushed her legs forward to end up on her feet once more. She repeated this until she made her way across the beam with no problem at all. Now, she would move onto more difficult maneuvers. With feet in position, she took a few quick steps and pushed her weight forward into an aerial cartwheel, taking care to keep her hands away from the beam to complete the move. With ease, the executed it beautifully and was congratulated with many claps and whistles. She blushed, for that was not the most difficult move for her to do. The appreciation was always welcomed after a bad day.

Kimberly was about to go into a split leap when she was overcome with a wave of dizziness that she had not experienced for a while. She wavered on the beam and looked as if she was about to fall off. _Don't look down. Don't look down._ It became her mantra, hoping she would be able to keep her composure on the bar. Falling was just not an option for her any longer. It just couldn't be. It passed as quickly as it came and she noticed a few of the people looking at her oddly. With a brave smile, "I'm fine," she said as she hopped down from the beam when it completely passed and she felt normal once more. To be honest, it made her quite nervous as well.

David came over to her with a look of concern on his face. "You sure you're alright? You didn't look so good just a few seconds ago." He stood in front of her and placed his hands on her shoulders and peered down into her eyes. "Tell me the truth Kimber," he said sincerely.

Once more, Kimberly forced yet another smile and nodded. "Of course I'm ok. I think that I'm just overworking myself. I think I'll call it a night," she said as she pulled out of his grasp. "Thanks for letting me use the beam. I think the time away from my coach helped."

David nodded and gave her another quick hug, "Take care, love. I hope to see you back around here soon." Another nod was given from Kimberly and she walked through the doors once more. He watched her walk out, making sure she wouldn't pass out as long as she was in his sight. When she finally disappeared around the corner, he returned to the weight machine and returned his focus to building his muscles even more. Kimberly would linger on his mind.

As soon as she was far enough away from prying eyes and worrying faces, she inched her way into a small alleyway, leaning back until her back touched the brick behind her and took a few shallow breaths. Once she was able to control her breathing, she pushed herself back upright. "Oh, Tommy…What's wrong with me," she said with a small sigh and decided to head home, not knowing what else to do. Home seemed like the best option for now, especially if her old dizzy spells were coming back. She thought that she had already gotten over them. But that doesn't appear to be the case. Maybe it was a sign? A bit of karma coming back to hurt her and she had hurt those when she left.

She walked the few blocks to the small apartment she was staying in for the time being. It was the closest one between the two gyms so it would have to do for now. As soon as she opened the door, she felt a dislike of the color scheme that it had going on. It was just plain and run of the mill. She decorated it as much as she could, short of painting the walls, with pink decorations here and there to make it her own. Pictures hung on every wall and the roses that Tommy constantly sent were on a table next to her couch. Still, it lacked much more. It lacked the warmth of her home in Angel Grove, including the people who made it all worthwhile.

"It's just not home." She said to the empty apartment as she walked to the bedroom. It was late already and she needed to get some well deserved rest. She peeled the workout clothes from her body, tossing them into a hamper. She barely had time to pull on a robe when her cell phone rang with a signature ringtone. A quick look to the screen confirmed it was Tommy.

"Hello?" was Kim's first word as she headed towards the kitchen. Even though Tommy was not able to hear it, her stomach gave a loud rumble to let her know that it wanted food. She reached into the refrigerator and pulled out a pre-made salad, closing the door shut.

"Ah, hey darling! How was practice tonight?" Tommy's cheerful voice came through the phone and into her ear. Kimberly smiled and grabbed a fork from the clean dishes that she had washed just earlier that morning.

"It was…fine," she lied. There was no need to tell him about the mishap that occurred earlier. It would all blow over soon anyway. She took a bite out of her salad and munched on it while he was talking to her. Making sure her door was locked, she moved through the apartment until she reached her bedroom once more. She did not like to eat in her bedroom, but she didn't feel like just watching T.V. while they talked either. So she just stood in the doorway that leads to her bedroom, leaning against the frame.

"Fine, huh? That's great. We all know you're going to do well," he said in reference to their other friends, all of which supported Kimberly's choice. "We just want to know when you would have time for a visit. We miss you…" a pause, and then, "And I really miss you. As for visiting, I still plan on coming to see you when we both have some free time. So make it soon," he practically pleaded with her. She could just imagine his perfect chocolate features that matched his tone.

"Oh please. It hasn't been that long since we were last together," she quipped with a short laugh, even though it had been.

"True, true, but it is still too long for me. I can't wait until you can come back or I get the chance to visit. It's just so hard to deal with sometimes," he said with much more conviction. She frowned to herself, catching the hint of sadness in his voice as well. Tommy missed her as much as she missed him, there was no denying it.

"Hey, hey," she said softly, "Even though I'm away, we still have deep feelings for each other. Nothing is going to change that, no matter how far apart in distance we are. And besides, I'll be back with you and the others before you know it." She felt sure of this and hoped Tommy knew as well. Their relationship was strong and it had endured many trials. Surely, they would be able to get through this as well. She was placing all of her faith in this.

"Easy for you to say," was Tommy's reply, followed by a laugh that she couldn't help but smile at once more. "The time is passing quicker for you. You have a lot of stuff to keep your mind occupied. I'm just stuck here with everyone, training constantly, improving my fighter skills," he said in a playful tone to lighten the mood. "I think I just might die of boredom if I don't see you soon."

Kimberly knew he was staying busy and preferred him to stay that way. Her other friends assured her that he was really ok and handling the situation as nicely as he could. If it kept him from missing her too much, it would be worth it. She had her other friends to keep an eye on him. Tommy was known to let his emotions get the best of him.

"Oh yeah, like that's not staying busy. You sound like you're bored out of your mind," she mocked in the same tone of voice. "You should get a real life," she joked. "Or, better yet, I bet if I called Jason, he would tell me that he would be able to beat you in a second because your mind isn't where it should be. Don't deny it!"

"Perhaps one day," was his only reply.

To which he was referring to, she had no idea. She could only guess which one he was indicating to. Kimberly said nothing to this for a moment, not sure of how she should take it or even give a response. Instead, she chose to take the easy route of the conversation.

"I hate to cut this short, but I have to take a shower and get to bed," Kimberly said as she moved towards the bed. She sank down on the edge of the bed, her heart heavy with sadness. But talking to him always made her feel better, even though she missed him all of the time. She failed to add that she needed to go to the gym earlier to once more fix her mistakes. Not to mention she wanted to say something more but couldn't bring herself to do it.

"Alright, if you must go, I will talk to you tomorrow, night. Goodbye," he murmured.

"Night. Sleep well," was Kimberly's reply as closed her phone to end the phone call. She sighed softly; she wanted to talk to him longer, but she knew she would only break down and tell him that she wanted to return home to be in his arms. If he could be strong for her, then she would be strong for him. That was final. He had been her rock for so long and now it was time for her to stand on her own two feet, without him having to be there to catch her if she fell.

Still feeling a bit sweaty and gross from the day's activities, she went to the adjoining bathroom. She slipped into the shower, turning the water closer to cold to beat down on her skin and soothe her achy muscles. The water felt good and slowly eased the pain away. When the water got too cold for her to handle, she changed the temperature to something warmer and finished her quick shower, wanting nothing more than to curl up in her bed and sleep right now. Tomorrow would be yet another busy day for her, and she knew that she would eventually be too tired if she didn't keep a normal sleeping pattern.

"I love you," she whispered to nothing as she snuggled down into her bed for the night. There, she said it out loud, at least to herself. So far, she did not have the courage to make her confession to Tommy, fearing that it wouldn't be returned.

She closed her eyes and fell immediately asleep, a content smile on her face. Yes; she would tell him soon. Tomorrow was another day.

--  
_Teaser to Chapter 2_

"Kimberly," Tommy breathed into her hair in their embrace, "God, I've missed you so much. But, why are you here so early? I thought that the plans were for me to catch a cab to the gym and wait for your practice to end?" He asked with an amused look on his face.

Kimberly took a step back from their hug and grabbed his hands in hers. "Coach gave me the entire day off. My performances have been their best this week and he felt like I needed a break. But," she said with a small pout of her lower lip, "I can always go back to the gym if you don't want to see me earlier than expected." She managed to say all of this with a straight face.


	2. Torn Inside

Torn Inside: Chapter Two

Kimberly stepped easily onto the beam, placing her feet in the right position once more. She smiled happily, almost to the point of being outright giddy. It was Monday and Tommy would be in Florida for a visit at the end of the week. It was nearly August and her friends were about to start their Senior Year in High school. They both knew that the other would be busy, so they wanted to spend time together before Tommy went back to school. She desperately wanted to show him how much she's improved on the beam and was taking great pains to make sure it was going to happen the way she wanted. There would be no excuses for failure now.

The coach was much more pleased with her performances and giving her less of a hard time. He was thrilled that Kimberly finally found the rest of her confidence and was showing it well. She was a great gymnast and she was finally starting to see just how far she would be able to go. After their argument, they both realized how silly they both had sounded over something so small. The coach had understood her need to do something a little different and gave her full blessing to keep what she liked in the floor routine, as long as she kept it perfect. It was their sort of a truce. Either way, it was working out quite nicely for the both of them.

The song to her beam routine started once more and she was determined to run another flawless routine. Over the past few weeks, she and the coach had been tweaking some of movements to improve it. In the end, both of them were quite confident about the results.

Kimberly flashed her smile to those the other gymnasts who sat in the bleachers who decided to stay after practice and watch her. The music started and it flowed like a sweet melody that just spoke without words of love. Standing on the tips of her toes, she took a few steps forward to give her some room for the moves that would follow. Slowly moving forward, she moved into a simple handstand; once she was in the right position, she fully straightened her arms and legs. Without shaking in the least, she moved her leg into a split. Holding this for just a few moments, she brought her legs back together and brought her legs down to the beam in a bridge. She arched her back to give more shape.

A chorus of "oohs" and "aahs" filled her ears and she smiled to herself. It felt good to have her gymnastics fawned over once more. Not that her friends back in Angel Grove ever ignored the fact that she had talent, but she knew that they would be impressed no matter what she could pull out from her sleeve.

The gym was quiet except for the music. Everyone seemed to be entranced by Kimberly's performance. She executed her movements so beautifully that no one could just look away.

Coming out of the bridge easily, it was time for some flips to pick the energy back up. Back on her feet, she took two steps from the middle of the beam into a simple leaping leg split. Sticking it easily, she did two cartwheels in a row; the last one was no handed. At the end of the beam, she moved one leg out to the side and pivoted on her toes and faced the other direction. Bringing the leg back down, she started into another handstand, but switched it up this time. Instead of the handstand, she went into a front walkover, using the momentum to bring her body upright once more.

Once all of this was complete, she would have roughly fourteen seconds to dismount the beam in her final move. Since she was almost to the end of the beam, she took quick steps in the beginning of a single layout salto with two twists at the end. With the height she had coming off of the beam, she looked amazing in the air. With a bend of her legs in the end, she straightened up with a proud smile that was clearly evident.

The other gymnasts applauded her performance, talking among themselves that she had greatly improved her skills and she would go far in career if she kept going in the direction she was. The coach greeted her with a big hug and an even bigger smile. He was so proud of her and he knew just how to reward her for a great run.

"Kimberly Hart," he yelled and tugged her down into a bow with him. "You did great," he whispered over to her, "and for the great performance, I'm giving you Friday off to spend with your visitor, as long as you keep giving those performances after he leaves and beyond. Congratulations."

Words could not describe how she was feeling. She chose not to tell Tommy that she would be getting all of Friday off. Instead, she chose to surprise him and felt the week pass by quickly. Whenever he would ask questions, she would shy around them and wouldn't give him a straight answer. He was in the dark until she threw her arms around him at the airport, completely surprising him.

"Kimberly," Tommy breathed into her air in their embrace after he got over the shock, "God, I've missed you so much. But, why are you here so early? I thought that the plans were for me to catch a cab to the gym and wait for your practice to end?" He asked with an amused look on his face while her eyes sparkled with mischief.

Kimberly took a step back from their hug and grabbed his hands in hers. "Coach gave me the entire day off. My performances have been their best this week and he felt like I needed a break. But," she said with a small pout of her lower lip, "I can always go back to the gym if you don't want to see me earlier than expected. I'm sure another few hours of practice will only make me even better." She managed to say all of this with a straight face. She even made a small attempt to move away to play around with him.

Tommy laughed and shook his head and held tightly onto her hands. "I think not. It's been close to three months since I last saw you. The more time I get with you, the better. Now, let's go get my bags and we can decide how we're going to spend the weekend. If you're not carefully, I might not leave" he teased her playfully and pulled her near the conveyor belt that held everyone's luggage.

Hand in hand, they walked along, each of them talking about different sections of their lives that the other had missed out on. For anyone else that witnessed the couple, they would immediately be able to tell that they were in love with the other. It was in their smiles, their small kisses, and just the way they looked at each other. To the other's dismay, neither of them had the courage to tell that something more was felt. Kimberly kept telling herself that she would tell Tommy the truth; she loved him dearly and wanted to be with him for the rest of her life. Fear of kept her from telling Tommy. She was scared of rejection and felt like the love would not be returned. Little did she know, but he felt the same way.

That night, they wanted nothing more than to be in the other's arms. Before they arrived at Kimberly's apartment, they stopped at a small Chinese restaurant for some take out and a movie place to rent a few new flicks. They curled up on the small couch in her living room, watched movies, and fell asleep together with just a kiss for goodnight. It was complete Heaven for them. Nothing else mattered as long as they had each other.

The weekend flew by and all too soon, Kimberly and Tommy were at the airport once more, saying their heartfelt goodbyes.

"Senior year just isn't going to be the same while you're not there to enjoy it with me," Tommy said with a small sigh. He sometimes wished to himself that Kimberly had not graduated early. But at the same time, he was proud of her for chasing her dream with such determination. She was going to be great; he just knew it.

Kimberly snickered and lightly punched him in the shoulder. "Things will be alright, you'll see," she said optimistically. "I promise that I'll be home for Homecoming and Prom. I wouldn't miss either of those for the world! But now…It's time for you to get going. I don't want you to miss your flight."

"I had a wonderful time, but next time, I think you should come home. There are quite a few people that are dying to see you," Tommy said as he held Kimberly in his arms and rested his chin on top of her head. She nodded into his chest, breathing in deeply his scent that was comforting to her. Also, she was trying to calm her nerves. It was now or never.

"Tommy," she began slowly, "I have something to tell you."

Tommy leaned back enough to look down at her, his eyes searching hers. A confused look came across his face and waited for her to continue, a little worried about what she was going to say.

"You have always been one of my best friends, pretty much not long after we were introduced. From the beginning, I knew that there was something about you, something that I was immediately drawn to. Since we've been together, I knew that those feelings would only grow stronger. Even with the distance, I was right. Tommy…I love you." There, she finally said it, bluntly. She looked down as soon as she finished speaking, awaiting his reaction to her revelation.

"You…love…Kimberly!" Tommy almost shouted with joy and brought her into another hug, holding onto her more tightly. "I am so glad to hear that. And…" he smiled sheepishly, "you couldn't have put it in better words. Since you said almost all of them for me, I love you too." He smiled and put his hand under her chin. "You have no idea how long I wanted to tell you," he said as he lifted her chin and their gazes met.

They shared a kiss that was becoming for the moment, a kiss that would flame their passions for the other. Promises were exchanged and Tommy finally had to let go to board the plane. Even though they had to say goodbye, they were both filled with a joy that would last until their next visit. Everything seemed to be going right for them, and they made plans for another visit within the next month or so, give or take depending on Kimberly's schedule. Things couldn't have been more perfect for them.

With their revelation of love, Kimberly's routines improved much more. She looked as light as a feather, especially in the flips and tumbles she executed. When she danced, it was with such grace that others were envious. She had Tommy's love and she felt as if it was the only thing she would ever need. It would sustain her for the next couple of months, at least until Pan Globals were over. She had not decided what she wanted to do after that. All she knew was that she would be going home.

Only two weeks after Tommy's, she was back to training on a daily basis, spending most of time on the beam and on the mat. As she improved, she wanted to change some things in her beam routine to make them harder and more pleasing to the crowd. Her mat routine was nearly complete, except for a few last minute changes. She was so into the music and her routine that she didn't notice the intruder that opened the door and was watching her intently.

"Nice split," said an unfamiliar voice that echoed in the gym that was supposed to be closed for the evening, except when it came to her. So having a coach that had his own gym had its perks, especially if you're the coach's favorite.

Startled by the intrusion, for Kimberly was originally by herself, she moved off of the beam to stand behind it, putting some distance between herself and the man. She had never seen him before and was not content on why he was here in the first place. "Thank you," she said cautiously.

The man just laughed and walked towards the benches. "Please, continue. You don't have to stop on my account." He sat down and looked as if he had the intention of staying and watching. He was far enough away from her, but she found it a little suspicious.

"That's quite alright. The gym is supposed to be closed anyway. I was just going to get in a few more minutes and leave myself," Kimberly said with a shrug of her shoulders. "So there's really no need for you to stay, mister…" She paused.

"The name's Tristan. Tristan Bailey, at your service. No need to ask your name," he said with a twinkle in his dark green eyes. "You have to be none other than the infamous Kimberly Hart, correct?"

Feeling no need to deny it, she just nodded without giving him any other indication.

The man slapped his hands together and let out another laugh of glee. "Damn, wait until the guys find out I met you in person. They'll be so jealous. Almost everyone knows that you train here. I'm surprised that people aren't constantly here, wanting an autograph or something from you."

Not knowing how to respond to this reaction, she tugged on her jacket that was lying on the floor, keeping a watchful eye on him. "Well, it's been a pleasure meeting you, Tristan, but I have to get going. So if you'll excuse me, I must…" she did not have the chance to finish her sentence before she was interrupted.

"Oh! Then, I insist you let me treat you for dinner. Or at least some ice cream. I wouldn't feel like a gentleman if I didn't at last ask. You look like you've been training so much and looking a little worn out." He looked to her with such a sincere face and she couldn't resist.

"Well, I don't suppose it would hurt. Ice cream would be fine, as long as it's strawberry," Kimberly said as she moved fully away from the equipment and closer to him. "There's an ice cream parlor right across the street. We could go there," she offered. She literally just met this guy and had no intention of the going any further than that. Plus, if they went to the ice cream parlor, they would be out in the open if something was to happen. He wanted to be nice, so she would happily oblige. She needed a small break to take her mind off training anyway. And ice cream was always better when with someone else.

"Ice cream it is," Tristan said as he walked beside her, keeping a little distance between them. He didn't want to make her uncomfortable. They ordered their ice cream, hitting it off immediately while they talked about various things while still in the line.

After the got their ice cream, they sat outside of the ice cream parlor, enjoying the warm weather that Florida was known for. Kimberly got her wish of strawberry while Tristan sat eating plain vanilla.

"Since you know my career, if it can be called that, what do you do?" Kimberly asked between bites of her treat. It had been a while since she was able to enjoy anything sweet. As a gymnast, she had to constantly watch her weight. But surely this little splurge wouldn't hurt her. Kimberly kept the topics light. She wanted to keep her distance from the male, but she also wanted another friend. Sure, she hung out with the other girls she took gymnastics with, but she often wanted other company. Tristan seemed to be God sent, at least from the conversations they had so far.

"I'm a freshman in college, actually. My parents were vivid when I told them that I wasn't interested in going, but got pushed into one anyway. Other than that, I have no idea what I really want to do with my life. I'll eventually figure it out, when the time is right," Tristan said shrugging his shoulders. "For a while, I wanted to go to California and see if I could make myself famous."

Kimberly arched her eyebrow, looking at him curiously now. "I'm from California, but why would you want to go there, exactly?" Inside her head, she sighed because she missed being in California. Only six or seven months left she kept telling herself.

Tristan could not help but laughing at her expression. "I have a soft spot for music. I guess I wanted to go out there and be discovered."

Now it was Kimberly's turn to nod. "You would be better off if you went to New York for that. Or, try your hand at going to local clubs and see if they would let you play. You never know who's out there, watching you. I know from experience," she said.

"Really now," Tristan asked. "How so?"

Kimberly sighed happily, leaning back against the chair. She had a silly smile on her lips, like she was lost in a fond memory. "There's a small juice bar back in my home town. The owner gave me my own little section for me to practice my gymnastics. One day, I was just practicing on the beam and the coach I have now was there to see me. After I dismounted from the beam, he practically rushed up to me and told me about himself and his gym. Turns out, he trains an elite group of girls for the Pan Globals and wanted me to join him here. I couldn't resist and that's how I ended up here."

"Nice story, almost fairy-tale like. I just might have to take your advice then. If I can gather the courage to go, will you accompany me?" Tristan asked casually while he polished off the last bit of his ice cream.

Before Kimberly could answer, her cell phone started to ring, "Hold that thought, please," she said before she answered the phone. Tristan listened carefully, although he could only hear her.

"Are you really serious? That's great news! I always knew that they crushed on each other. Oh, I'm so glad he finally asked her out!' Kimberly squealed into the phone. She went quiet again, obviously listening to the caller. "Sure thing, I'll leave right away. I'll call you back in fifteen or so minutes…I love you too. Bye." Kimberly hung up the phone and started to stand up.

"I hate to cut this short, but I have to get going. It was great meeting you and thanks for the ice cream," Kimberly said with a genuine smile at Tristan.

Tristan nodded almost curtly, but Kimberly missed it. "I understand. I hope to see you again," he said rising as well.

"Perhaps," was Kimberly's only reply as she walked away from him and turned down one of the side streets.

Tristan watched her as she walked away, sitting back down. He was fuming but couldn't quite put his finger on why. He was attracted to Kimberly, that was clear, but why the sudden bout of jealousy was unknown to him. "I'll get you yet, Miss Hart," he whispered into the air. "It's just a matter of time. You will be mine."

--  
_Teaser to Chapter 3_

_Kimberly started to say something in return but heard the small knock on her door. She knew already who it was, even though he was a little bit early. Tristan invited her to a restaurant that just opened and he wanted to take her there._

"_Tommy, I have to go; I have to be up very early. My coach wants me to put in an extra hour of practice in the morning before full training starts. You know, I have to be in top shape for the competition." She honestly felt bad about lying to him. And it was not like Tristan ever hit on her; he was just being a friend to her since she wasn't extremely close with any of the other girls she was in gymnastics with._

"_Yeah, sure," Tommy said in a defeated voice. He hated to argue with her, but he had no trust for the guy, especially since he had yet to meet him. He loved Kimberly and would do anything for her. Even if it meant swallowing his feelings every so often to make sure she was ok. She was happy, and that was all he ever wanted. _

_A/N: Hope the story is good so far. Chapter 3 will be up soon._


	3. Face Down

Chapter 3: Face Down

That was almost a month ago by now, around the time that the next visit would be. Instead, Kimberly put off going home, always making up excuses of why she couldn't visit. After the first "date", Kimberly found Tristan interesting and easy to talk to. The duo was not together as a couple; they never talked about a relationship like that. They were happy with just being close friends. He made her loneliness go away, even though deep down, her heart still cried out for Tommy to be there instead. She still missed him, but the distance was starting to get to her as well. In her mind, Tristan was just friend and he would never be anything more than that, at least in Kimberly's mind. He was her constant companion, almost like her guardian while Tommy was not there to be. At first, Tommy told Kimberly he was ok with this and was glad that she had someone to look after her while he couldn't. On the downside, she could not tell that this would lead to constant arguments between them.

Kimberly and Tristan had just come back from catching the newest horror flick, although it had ended nearly three hours ago. Kimberly never had been a huge fan of the genre and Tristan thought it would be nice to take her to the beach so she could relax before she had to go back to her apartment. The last thing she wanted to do was get scared in her apartment while she was there by herself, especially over a scary movie.

"Thanks for keeping me company," Kimberly said almost sheepishly as she walked Tristan to the door. "I promise that I'll be alright now. We've done a complete check of my rooms and I'm assured that there isn't a killer hiding somewhere."

Tristan laughed and shook his head at her. "You crack me up, Kimberly. It was only a movie, nothing to be scared of."

Before Kimberly could answer, her cell phone started to ring. They both looked over to it, recognizing it to be Tommy.

"I better get going," Tristan muttered unhappily. He valued the time he spent with Kimberly. He thought they were getting closer each day. Now if only Tommy was out of the way, he could pursue her the way he wanted. It was clear to him and everyone else; he wanted Kimberly for himself. But all Kimberly could see was Tommy in her life as a boyfriend.

Kimberly nodded and waved to him as if to get him moving. "Sure thing, I'll talk to you later." She turned her back to him and walked over to her cell phone. She tried not to pay attention to Tristan. He would let himself out like he had many times before. As soon as she heard the door shut, the opened her phone to answer the call.

Sighing softly, she picked up. "Hello?"

Tommy let out a breath of relief on his end of the phone. Kimberly knew that sigh; it meant he had been worried about her. She felt guilty because she hadn't been able to talk to him as much as she wanted to. If she wasn't training or with Tristan, she was trying to rest up; the competition was coming closer each week. In fact, it was a little less than three months away.

"Hey beautiful, I called you earlier, but you didn't answer. Is anything wrong?" Tommy asked, trying to be casual about his tone. He knew in his heart where Kimberly had been, but his heart didn't want to believe it.

Kimberly went to the door to make lock it after Tristan had left. Even though it was late, she had always never hinted that he should stay the night. "I had my phone on vibrate, I'm sorry. I went to the movies…" she paused here, figuring she might as well tell the full truth, "with Tristan. We haven't been in my apartment long before you called. He left right as you called."

"Why is he just now leaving? It is well after two in the morning. Do you ever get any time alone? Do you have any time for anyone else?" Tommy said loudly into the phone, letting out his anger and extreme dislike for Tristan. Also, he felt hurt, his tone suggested it.

Wincing, Kimberly eased the phone from her ear and she could still hear his voice clearly. This was beginning to be a common occurrence, their arguing. "There's nothing going on like that, Tommy. You should know better! You should know ME better than that," she said with an emphasis. "And besides, you're always too busy to talk to me anyway. You just have to learn to trust me more!"

"I never said I didn't trust you! It's him that I don't trust. I mean, you're alone there and he's taking advantage of you. I won't have it! You are my girlfriend, the love of my life," he said with a tone that said this is final.

Provoked, "I am not yours, or anyone else's property, do you hear me?! I am free to do as I please. You do not own my life, Tommy!" She screamed back into the phone with tears of frustration running down her cheeks. Oh, if he could see her. Why couldn't he understand?

The other end was silent and her heart dropped. She really did it this time. She had felt that there was more distance between Tommy and her and it had nothing to do with how far away they were from each other.

"If that's how you feel," was the soft reply that was barely heard. The tone pulled at her heartstrings.

"Oh Tommy," she cried out into the phone, letting her tears flow freely, her voice racked with sobs. "I'm so sorry! I hate that we are arguing like this. I promise you that nothing is going on between Tristan and me. I would never cheat on you, not for anything in this world!"

"Shh, shh. It's alright. I know. I just… I don't know how to explain it, Kim. You mean everything to me. I still don't want to lose you." Tommy's voice came stronger. He managed to sooth her over the phone and made her stop crying.

Sniffling, "I know and I believe you. I just wish that you would have more faith in me. You had enough faith to tell me that we could make it through anything if we really wanted to. Where is that faith now?" With this being said, it brought on a fresh round of tears.

"I always have had faith in you. From the very first time we met...Well, let me rephrase that. When we could actually be in the same room without going for the other's throat, I knew I could always have faith in you." He left out the fact that he knew much more about her from their very first encounter.

Kimberly managed to stop her flow of tears, sucking them up. It was not like her to continuously cry, but lately when she talked to Tommy, she always felt guilty.

"I need to get to bed. I will talk to you tomorrow afternoon, ok? We're only practicing half a day, so I'll call you as soon as I get here. Deal?" She prayed silently that he would agree and they could blow off another argument.

"I understand and I love you. Sleep well and dream of me," Tommy said with a yawn of his own. He had no choice but to agree. He didn't want another argument tonight. It wouldn't do either of them any good.

"I love you too. Do the same," was the last thing said before the conversation ended. On opposite ends of the States, they sighed sadly into their pillows, wishing that things were different.

Kimberly lay in her bed and looked over to the three pictures she had displayed in frames. She sat up, taking all of them and set them down in front of her. The first was a picture of her and Tommy; they were side by side and smiling happily to the camera. She smiled at the background, sinking into her memories. They were by the lake, the same place that Tommy had asked her to a dance for the first time. The same place they shared their first kiss. She knew even then that he was the one. It was where she felt for the first time in her life that she was complete.

She looked at the second photo. It was her first best friends: Jason, Billy, Zach, Trini, and herself. This one was taken at Kimberly's house for a pool party before they started their sophomore year of high school. She laughed to herself because the picture was taken right before they jumped into the pool. She was sitting on Zach's shoulders. Jason had Trini in his arms; she rested her back against one arm and had her legs over the other. Billy was in the center with his arms around Jason and Zack's necks.

The last photo was from her going away party. It was taken at Ernie's, the owner of the local juice bar that everyone used to hang out at. Kimberly sat in the center with a huge pink cake in front of her. Tommy stood behind her with his hands on her shoulders. Jason, Trini, Billy, Kat, Rocky, Adam, Zach, and Aisha all formed a half circle around her. She looked closely at the picture for the first time. Even though everyone was smiling and looked happy, she could now see the signs of sadness in everyone's eyes and their smiles.

"I miss you guys," she said to those in the pictures. "You guys are my life. I couldn't have made it this far without your support. I will make you all proud." She sat the pictures back in their places and stretched back out in her bed. She had a lot to think about. Since she was a vocal person, she would have her conversation out loud.

"I love Tommy. This much is true. I have loved Tommy since I first set eyes on him. He means everything to me. Tristan means nothing. He is just a friend. Am I sending out the wrong signals?" She sighed and rolled over to her side. "I will have a talk with Tristan tomorrow and tell him how I feel." Content, she closed her eyes and fell into a dreamless sleep.

Two days later, Tristan showed up at the gym right before Kimberly was done with the session. She looked over at him and saw the excited look on his face. After she finished her last few back flips, she walked over to him.

"You look awfully happy. What's up?" Kimberly asked curiously as soon as she got close enough to him.

Tristan smiled happily and grabbed her hands. "The most amazing thing, actually. A new French place has just opened up tonight. I want to take you there. You cannot say no! It's a Friday night, you need to go out and unwind."

Kimberly tried to ease her hands out of his but he kept his grip tight so she couldn't. "Alright," she said slowly. "What time?" She couldn't have timed it better herself. She would break the news to him at the restaurant. If he didn't like what she had to say then she would know how he felt.

"How about at eight? It'll give you a little less than two hours to get ready. It's a nice place, so dress the part." Tristan said with a nod and finally let go of her hands. "Nothing casual, but nothing too fancy either. I know that you have something in your closet to wear," he said with a little wink.

"Ok, see you then," Kimberly said as she brushed against him to leave. For some reason, she felt nervous to even go with him. But she had said yes, so she felt obligated to go. In her mind, she was going over the various outfits that were indeed in her closest.

Tristan watched her as she left with a slick smile in place. All of the pieces were starting to fall the way he wanted. It wouldn't be much longer and he would have her where he wanted her. Tonight would be the night. He would make sure of it. He had waited too long.

Kimberly went through her normal routine. Instead of feeling giddy, like she often did when she was about to go out on a date with Tommy, she felt a sense of dread and couldn't figure out why. After her shower, she sat in a robe and brushed her long brown locks out. She had decided that she wanted to leave her hair down since she always had to have it up for gymnastics. After blow drying it, she quickly used a straightener to smooth it all out.

"Ok, hair is done. Now I need to figure out what I'm going to wear, what bag to take, and what shoes would make everything perfect…and jewelry. God, I'm so not ready for this date," she said huffily.

She stopped dead in her tracks. "A date? Oh no, this is not a date. It's just two friends going out to a new place and have fun as friends. Yes, that's it." She wagged her head, ignoring the fact. She felt a sense of dread in her heart, knowing now that it was how Tristan looked at their relationship. "No, this is nothing like that. He knows about Tommy. He couldn't honestly think he had a chance. Gosh, that sounded so arrogant," she said as she shook her head.

She stood in front of her closet, finally picking out all of the short cocktail dresses she owned that looked good on her. They were short, but not overly so, most ending just above her knees. "Tommy always liked this one," she said without thinking. The dress was a halter top that was pale pink that clung to her nicely in all of the right places. She shook her head, putting it back down on the bed. "I don't want to give Tristan the wrong impression that he might already have. Next," she said looking over the other dresses.

"Black would probably work the best," she said as she put all but three silk dresses back in her closest. The first option was a strapless number and dipped very low in the front. However, to ensure that parts wouldn't be exposed to the public, three lines of rhinestones connected the fabric together. The hemline was a little shorter than the other, stopping about mid thigh. "It's way too short for this occasion."

The next one a bit simpler and Kimberly loved how it looked on her. This dress was a bandeau style with three strips of color: pink, white, and baby blue; the rest of the dress was black. "Perhaps this one would be considered a little too sexy for the occasion," she stated as she turned to look at the last dress.

This dress had caught her attention the first time she ever laid eyes on it. Tommy had been with her on one of her infamous shopping trips. She almost had to beg him to let her make the stop. He laughed and relented and couldn't help whistling when he saw it on her. She knew from just by his expression that she had to have it. Tube top dresses had always looked the best on her and this one was no exception. The dress fit snugly to her body and flowed out at the bottom. It was in two pieces; the silk part was closest to her skin and was just a little bit shorter than the top layer. This part was sheer black lace and it skimmed her legs. At the bust was a ribbon of black lace that went all the way around. It was simply gorgeous on her.

She smiled at the last dress, knowing it was still the one. She put the other two back in their places and put on the lacy dress. After she smoothed it into place, she pulled out a pair of three inch black stilettos. She loved how they made her already toned legs look. Just as she went back to the bathroom to do her make-up, her phone rang.

"Hello Tommy."

"Hey, I was just curious of when you plan on coming home for a weekend. The guys," Tommy paused to let the others scream "Hey Kimberly!" into the phone, "really want you to be here. Especially the girls, they're complaining that they are in need of a shopping trip with you. And knowing all of you, it will take your entire trip."

Kimberly hesitated, she knew that this was her only free weekend and completely forgot about her and Tommy having made plans for her to visit. She immediately felt bad. "Tommy…" she began, "I'm sorry, but I wasn't able to book a flight. Things have been so hectic around here. The coach is getting nervous because the competition is getting so close. He wouldn't let anyone come home this time. He said we could all go home once the competition was over. I'm so sorry," she said with so much sincerity. She bit her tongue and hated lying to him.

"Oh," was Tommy's only reply. She could hear him muffle the phone and could barely make out his words to the others. "Do...mind…talk…alone," was the only words she managed to hear. She held her breath, knowing where this was about to lead. All she could do was wait for him to start.

"Why couldn't you have told me, oh, I don't know, at least a week ago so none of us would be expecting you here tonight, or even sometime tomorrow? Do you realize how disappointed everyone is right now? We all wanted to see you. It's been too long, Kimberly. Do you not care about any of us anymore?" Tommy said everything in a rush.

"It just slipped my mind," Kimberly replied hotly. "I have been busy, you know. I train so many hours each day and you know this! It's not like I did this on purpose." Another semi-lie.

"Really now," Tommy sneered before he could manage to stop it. "You seem to always have the time for Tristan, but never your true friends. How long has it been since you called anyone else? I know for a fact that it's been at least two weeks since you talked to Trini or Jason."

Kimberly started to say something in return that wasn't going to be pleasant but heard the small knock on her door. She knew already who it was, even though he was a little bit early. Tristan invited her to a restaurant that just opened and he wanted to take her there, she remembered. She had completely forgotten about it because of the conversation.

"Tommy, I have to go; I have to be up very early. My coach wants me to put in an extra hour of practice in the morning before full training starts. You know, I have to be in top shape for the competition." She honestly felt bad about lying to him. And it was not like Tristan ever hit on her; he was just being a friend to her since she wasn't extremely close with any of the other girls she was in gymnastics with. Right?

"Yeah, sure," Tommy said in a defeated voice. He hated to argue with her, but he had no trust for the guy, especially since he had yet to meet him. He loved Kimberly and would do anything for her. Even if it meant swallowing his feelings every so often to make sure she was ok. She was happy, and that was all he ever wanted. He wanted to say so much more, but it looked like it would have to wait a while longer.

"Goodbye Tommy. I'll talk to you later," Kimberly said and hung up without saying goodbye or even an "I love you." She wanted to call right back and apologize but Tristan came in instead.

"Wow, you look amazing," Tristan said honestly. "You look so much better with your hair down. It makes you look more natural and a down to earth type of girl," he said with a smile.

All Kimberly could do was nod her head and pick up her bag. She knew if she managed to talk that her voice would be lodged in her throat. She felt so bad about the conversation. All she wanted to do now was call him back and apologize for everything. She wanted to explain that she was just stressed and wasn't meaning to cut everyone out of her life.

"Well, come on then," Tristan said as he grabbed her by her arm to pull her out of the apartment, maybe a little too rough. He was a gentleman and opened her door, closing it as soon as she was settled. He hurried to the driver side before she could change her mind. By the look on her face, he could tell that she wanted to call off the nights' activities. He was not about to allow that to happen. He chattered mindlessly as he drove to the restaurant, hoping to eventually get to the bottom of what was wrong. He knew it dealt with Tommy. That guy was an obstacle that he was going to overcome.

They finally arrived and the waiter led them to the back in a little private booth. Kimberly had barely glanced around, but knew it was a really nice place nonetheless.

"What can I get you," the waiter said with a heavy French accent and handed them two menus. Whether it was fake or not, Kimberly couldn't tell.

"Water," Kimberly said as she looked down to the menu.

"Hm…I think I'll have a glass of white wine," Tristan said. The waiter nodded and walked off to get their orders.

"You're drinking tonight," Kimberly asked incredulously and looked up from the menu. In all of the time that they had spent together, he had never drunk anything other than water or soda in front of her.

"Yes, why not? It's a nice place and I want to enjoy a real French meal. It's no big deal" Tristan replied smugly.

Kimberly just shrugged her shoulders and kept her eyes down until the drinks came, along with bread and cheese, and two small salads as appetizers.

"And what will you both be requiring for this evening?" asked the waiter with a notepad in hand, pen poised. He looked to Tristan expectantly.

"I'll have the roast duck with the herbed sauce." The waiter nodded and turned to Kimberly.

"Uh… I think I'll have the broccoli and cheese quiche." Kimberly decided. It was something light and she wouldn't have to worry that much about all of the calories later.

"Very good, enjoy all of this," he indicated, "until your food is ready. I shall be back shortly with your food." The waiter moved off and Kimberly and Tristan sat silently, each lost in their own minds.

"So," Tristan forced, "what's making you look so down? I thought you wanted to come here with me tonight. You don't look like you're enjoying the evening." He had to keep his tone light. He couldn't afford to mess up things now. Not when he was so close.

"Oh," Kimberly said surprised, "it's nothing. It's just…problems with Tommy. It just got me down. But I really am enjoying the place. Thanks for taking me," she said with a smile that didn't quite meet her eyes.

Tristan didn't force the conversation and they sat in silence, eating the appetizers every once in a while. The food couldn't have come at a better time. With the food now in front of them, they wouldn't have to worry as much about conversation.

"This is really good," Kimberly said in between small bites.

Tristan just nodded. He didn't trust his voice right now. He was furious at her. She should be enjoying his company! Not wishing that she wasn't here.

They finished early, skipping on dessert. Tristan wanted to hurry up and get Kimberly back to her apartment. He didn't want to be in public right now. His temper was starting to get the best of him and wasn't sure how long he could keep it in check.

They headed back to the car and sat in the stony silence until they reached her apartment. Tristan got out and didn't bother to open her door. Instead, he walked up the flight of stairs and waited for her to get out herself and unlock the door.

"That was rude," she said under her breath when she opened her own door. "It looks like I'm not going to have to have a talk with you. It seems like you got the message loud and clear for yourself. Good. It saves me the trouble. Maybe I can catch an early flight and go home anyway to surprise everyone. That would really perk me up" she muttered as she walked up the steps as well.

As she reached her door and unlocked it, she was about to say thank you and goodbye, but got shoved in her apartment instead. As she stumbled into the room, she turned to face him with a look of rage and disbelief on her features. Tristan shut the door, locking it behind him and walked towards her.

"What the…" was all she could get out before his lips slammed down on her own. She panicked, trying to push him away from her. His response was to wrap his arms tightly around her and continue with the kiss. With Kimberly pulled so close to him, all she could do was struggle in vain. He broke their kiss slightly, still keeping his lips near her own.

Whispering to her, "Let's see what else you have...," he said as his hands wandered the backside of her body. Satisified, he pulled completely away with a smug grin on his lips and shoved him away from her. She stumbled once more and quickly caught her balance because of all of the gymnastics she had been through.

"I think we should take the relationship a bit further, don't you think? After all, we had a date, just kissed and you cheated on Tommy. Well, perhaps you didn't, but he wouldn't be thrilled to find out either way. Think about that tonight," he said as he took a step to her. He bent down and lowered his voice. "You will break up with Tommy. Or else," he threatened.

Kimberly was too stunned to say anything. This night had not gone the way she had planned. In fact, things had taken a turn for the worst. Finding her voice, "You can't make me. He will always believe me over you," she said with confidence.

Tristan laughed and slapped her slightly across her face, the sound resonating through the tiny apartment. "We'll see, little girl. Remember what I said. Tommy will hate you if he found out. Goodnight," he said calmly as he walked towards the door. "Oh, and as a last statement. If you tell anyone, you will sorely regret it. You might even have to give up gymnastics," he said with a particularly nasty sadistic smile and left, closing the door behind him.

Kimberly let out the breath she had been holding. For the first time in her life since Tommy had been with her, she felt a stab of intense fear. She lifted her hand to her burning cheek, crying softly. All she wanted to do was to call Tommy and tell him everything that had just occurred. Before she could reach the cell phone, she remembered that she had told him earlier that she had to go to bed. To call and tell him differently now would mean she would have to tell him she lied to him before. He would lose his trust in her.

"Oh God…What have I done," she said and she sunk down to the floor.

--  
Teaser to Chapter 4

"_Pan Globals are next week and I want to be there to support you. I felt like I haven't been there enough for you while you've been training. Please, please let me do this for you," Tommy pleaded._

_Kimberly knew that he was trying to keep their relationship together. It's too late, she thought sadly. Nothing can save it anymore. I can only save us if we're separate. I don't want either of us to get hurt. Tristan might actually go through with his plans. I'm all alone. "I'm sorry Tommy. I would only get nervous and not do my best. Just watch me on the television. I know that you'll be there with me in spirit," she said trying to keep the sadness out of her voice. And that's the only way we'll ever be together while I'm here, she thought._

A/N: Chapter 4 will be up when I'm able to finish it. It's getting close to finals, so the story might go on temporary hiatus until I'm able to devote more time to it. Reviews are welcome! I know that my times don't exactly go along with the original story line from the tv show, but it works better with my story.


	4. Goodbye to You

Chapter 4: Goodbye to You

Kimberly just couldn't escape Tristan's torments; he was constantly by her side or at least within seeing distance. Three months ago, they had their first incident in Kimberly's apartment. From then on, things began to steadily get worse and more abusive.

Kimberly was ashamed of herself for allowing this to go on, but felt as if she had no hope. It was bad enough that she was being beaten; she feared that Tristan would stop threatening her and do something more serious if she didn't go along with what he wanted. Tristan had "moved in" with her a few weeks ago. No one seemed to find it about odd since they had been seen together a lot, and they neglected to see the changes in Kimberly's personality. They all thought it was because the competition was just days away.

Gymnastics were her solace; it was one of the only places she could go to forget what was happening in her life. Everything began to suffer with her. She had not kept in touch with her friends as much as she had been. Even her phone calls to Tommy were limited severely. He, too, thought it was because of the competition.

She found herself spending more time training, as late as she was able. It was easier to explain the bruises this way. Sometimes, she would fall on purpose and blame it on that, just so people would see and not question it.

Coach Schmidt started to watch her more closely during the practices. He had trained many females and knew that most of them changed during the times. Kimberly was changing more rapidly that anyone else he ever knew. It was very unsettling to him.

He noted the fact that Kimberly still done extremely well in her routines, but he sensed that she had lost her spark for it. She had it up until the time Tristan showed up. At first, he thought that she and Tommy and broken up and he was her new boyfriend. It had been some time since Kimberly talked to him about Tommy.

"Beautiful tumble, Kimberly," Coach Schmidt called over to her; "I would like to see a little bit more height if you can manage it. If you can, I think it'll really impress the judges."

Kimberly just flashed a small smile, nothing like the brilliant ones that light up a room like she was known for. "Thanks Coach," she said with little enthusiasm. For once, Tristan had not followed her to training. She was thankful for this.

Coach Schmidt continued to watch her; he knew that she was going to win Pan Globals. He could just feel it in his bones. He had watched her go from a talented gymnastic to one that just screamed she would be the best. True, he would be sad to watch her leave when it was all over. She would need to go home, but he had hoped into talking her into going further with gymnastics.

"Alright girls," he clapped as all girls came to a halt. "Each and every one of you has done such a great job. I feel that all of you have improved beyond your wildest dreams as a gymnast," he paused as all of his girls either smiled or bowed. "Now, you all know that it is crunch time in here. I expect all of you to keep living up to your potential and my expectations. Just give me another hour of your time, and then you all are free to go for the rest of the day."

The girls cheered and clapped happily. It was common knowledge that Coach Schmidt was a harsh teacher but was always concerned with the girls' welfare and making sure they were at least content.

Every one split up, going to their respective training areas to continue. Each attacked their routines with a new found sense of pride; they didn't want to let the Coach down.

Kimberly felt a sense of dread when he said that he would be releasing everyone earlier than normal. It just meant that she would have to endure another long night of Tristan's abusive ways. Pushing all of those thoughts away from her head, she focused on the mat. No matter how Tristan defeated her physically, she would not let him completely take over her mind.

No, she would do her best at Globals no matter what was thrown her way. She would make Tommy and everyone else proud of her. After that, she would leave Florida forever and never to return. She would find herself back at Angel Grove with everyone. She would feel safe at last again. Everything would be put behind her. Tristan wouldn't dare follow her there. Life would be perfect once more. All she had to do would be to plan it all out carefully to get her stuff moved without him noticing.

The hour came too quickly and everyone was sitting in a small semi-circle with Coach Schmidt in the center. He looked at each of them before he started to talk. They all looked at him expectantly. They knew what speech was coming.

"Globals are in six days. You each know this and know what it means to you personally. I have watched all of you pour your heart and souls into this. If you had not, I would have asked you to leave long ago," he said bluntly. He waved his hand dismissively and continued with his small speech. "We will go to Globals as a team. There are never any guarantees in anything, let alone in gymnastics. Do your best, and then some. Now, since they are so close, we will now have practice for the next five for at least six hours. The night before, there will only be a small practice. This will be the time where all of you will get one chance to go through your performance. Then, you are to go eat and get a good night's rest. "

The girls rose and went to quickly grab their things to hurry and get home. As they hurried out the door, two of the girls noticed that Kimberly was being rather slow at getting her things together.

"Hey Kimberly," called Amy, a tall girl with black hair that was superb on the still rings. "Are you alright?"

Kimberly looked up briefly from packing her things and nodded her head slowly. "Of course," she said slowly and continued to put her things away.

The other girl, Carrie, shot Amy a questioning look. It was not like Kimberly to act so down, even they knew that. Up until recently, they had always seen her happy and talkative. Something had to be up. Since they weren't exactly best friends, Amy and Carrie wouldn't think too much of it.

"Well," Carrie said brightly to break the silence, "Are you excited about Globals yet? I certainly am. I think my vault routine is damn near perfect," she said proudly.

Amy nodded, catching the drift. "Oh yes! I have been waiting for that moment over the last few months. I think it'll be one of the happiest moments in my life this far, even if I don't win. How many people do you know that can say they were in Pan Globals?"

They turned to Kimberly, expecting an answer from her. To their shock, they didn't get much of one.

"I have to get going," Kimberly said vaguely as she stood up and brushed past them. "I will see you both tomorrow," was all that she said as she left. She faintly heard the words "rude… stuck up…"as she left.

No sooner had she walked out, Tristan came up beside her out of nowhere. He grabbed her hand and squeezed a little too tight. "Where do you think you're going," he said softly to not attract any unwanted attention.

She winced as she heard her knuckles crack underneath the strain. The pain wasn't that bad, she had endured much worse. From his manor, she concluded that he was not happy about something. She could also tell that it was not going to be a good night for her."

"Oh, Coach let us out early," she said truthfully. It got her another squeeze and she sucked in a breath of pain. She prayed to those above he wouldn't break her hand, or any other limb for that matter.

"Why," Tristan asked casually in case anyone close by could hear their conversation, "Coach think you all are finally ready? I know I'm ready to see you perform," he said a bit louder as they made their way between the crowds of people.

Kimberly just nodded. "Yes, Tristan; he thinks we're all doing so well and gave us the rest of the day off. I was just planning on going back to the apartment and relax. I have practice tomorrow as well."

Tristan laughed as if she had just told a funny joke or said something silly. "Of course, of course; you are all great. Well, we'll just have to go out and celebrate, won't we," he said with a hint of firmness. He didn't care whether or not she wanted to go or not. She would.

"Er, I'd rather not go out tonight. I'm quite tired from everything," Kimberly pleaded to him. She knew the front he was putting on.

"Are you sure?" Tristan asked with mock concern that sounded so fake to even her ears. "Well, if that's what you want, we can just stay at home and either cook or order out like you want"

Kimberly sighed inwardly; she really didn't go out in public anymore. He was trying to keep her prisoner and was doing a very good job at it. "Yes, I am positive. And carry out sounds pretty good. How about we get Chinese for dinner tonight?"

"That's a great idea, Kimberly. I'll just drop you off at our apartment and I'll go get some. Go ahead and pick out a movie or something to do when I get back. We'll just have a nice relaxing night in," Tristan said as he gradually loosened the hold on her hand.

They remained silence until they got to the door. He had the key out, unlocking the door before them. "Be good," he threatened her and pushed her inside. "I don't have to tell you the rules anymore. I think you know them by heart, as well as the consequences." He slammed the door and she heard him walking down the metal steps.

Freedom! Her voice screamed at her. Call Tommy now, while he's gone! You can have a little bit of privacy. Swallow your pride and tell him the truth!

Making sure the door was locked; she grabbed her cell phone, quickly dialing Tommy's number.  
It rang once…twice…three…times.

"Tommy, please pick up..." she moaned into the phone and kept an eye on the door.

"Kimberly! Shouldn't you still be at practice? Are you hurt or something" Tommy's voice sounded worried.

"I need to talk to you. Please tell me you have the time," Kimberly said in a rush. She didn't know how much time she would have before Tristan got back. God help her if he came back while she was still on the phone.

"Of course, beautiful, I always have time for you. I'm assuming that you're calling about Globals? They are next week and I want to be there to support you. I felt like I haven't been there enough for you while you've been training. Please, please let me do this for you," Tommy pleaded with her.

Kimberly stopped herself from saying what she really wanted to, for whatever reason. Her brain decided to just freeze up. He was right; they were next week. Only that much longer to deal with Tristan's abuse.Kimberly knew that he was trying to keep their relationship together, even if he didn't know what was going on. It's too late to tell him, she thought sadly. Nothing can save it anymore. I can only save us if we're separate. I don't want either of us to get hurt. Tristan might actually go through with his plans. I'm all alone.

"I'm sorry Tommy. I would only get nervous and not do my best. Just watch me on the television. I know that you'll be there with me in spirit," she said trying to keep the sadness out of her voice. And that's the only way we'll ever be together while I'm here, she thought. Just hold out a little longer for me, she pleaded inside of her mind.

"But, but," Tommy sputtered. "Kimberly, I-"

He didn't get the chance to finish. Kimberly heard the pounding of shoes against the stairs. Oh god, she thought.

"Sorry, gotta go. My phone's dying. Love you!" Kimberly said quietly into the phone and hung up. Unfortunately, Tristan had opened the door in time to hear her final words.

"So," he said glaring at her. "I don't even have to ask who you was talking to. You know what happens now," he said setting the food down and closed the door behind him. The look in his eyes frightened Kimberly.

"You can't keep doing this! I'll go to the cops. I am through with this! Get out!" She screamed and pointed to the door. She had to seem braver than she felt. Inside, she was trembling with fear. She was tiny, and he easily outweighed her.

He just laughed in her face at her words. "Aren't you cute when you're angry?" Tristan teased her, not making any attempt to move from his position.

"I'm serious! Get out! I'm through with your bullshit. You make me sick," she screamed at him.

Her words only seem to have made him quite angry. She could tell it by his eyes; the way they flashed sent shivers down her spine. No, she couldn't back down now. She wouldn't live this way anymore.

He calmly walked to where she stood defiantly, keeping his eyes transfixed on her own. She refused to look down or break the gaze in any form. A slow smile spread across his lips, making him look even creepier than he did before.

Kimberly saw his hand move but was unable to move herself. Before she knew it, his backhand landed squarely across her cheek. It hit with so much force that her head snapped sideways; she had to bite her lips to keep from calling out in pain.

Tristan stood with his hand still raised as if he would hit her again when she turned her head to face him once more."You little bitch," he whispered to her hatefully so that only she would hear.  
"I will make you regret every word you said to me. You are mine. Understand me?"

Kimberly choked back her tears and turned to face him again. Tears streaked her face in zigzagged lines.

This only seemed to send Tristan in more of a rage. "Answer me," he raised his voice to her. When she gave no indication that she was going to, he reached over and grabbed a handful of her brunette hair, jerking her closer to him.

Now taking her by the upper arm, he squeezed until she cried out in pain. She parted her lips to scream, only to be muffled by his hand. "I'll be damned if you're going to ruin this," he snarled. Releasing her hair, he swung his arm holding her own, slinging her hard enough to hit the wall behind her and slide down the wall to the floor. She hit with such an impact that it made her lose her breath.

"Tommy," she panted out, knowing good and well that he couldn't help her.

Tristan laughed at her huddled form. "You are so weak," he said as be bent down on his knees. His hand sought her chin, forcing her to look up at him. "Tommy can't hear you." He curled his hand into a fist and pulled backwards. "He's not here. He hasn't been here. Do you really think he stayed faithful to you? You couldn't even stay faithful. He probably found someone better."

Kimberly winced, thinking he was about to strike her face once more. He sneered at her, shaking his head. "You know better than that. I wouldn't want to bruise that pretty little face of yours," he said before the punch landed squarely in her abdomen. "But any other places are fair game," he said as he delivered another punch to the same place. She barely had enough time to catch her breath in between the hits. She moaned in pain continuously.

Tristan stopped and backed away from her, watching her. With shallow breaths, Kimberly braced herself and tried to push her way back into a standing position. He had to give her props for even being able to move.

"Oh no you don't," he said before kicking her in the ankle with the tip of his steel toed shoes.

She howled in pain and placed her hands on the wall behind her for support. It didn't feel broken. She tested it, moving it back and forth. It would be fine, but she had to escape. She couldn't wait any longer. Things were getting to be unbearable. It had never been this bad before.

"Stay right there. You move and you will regret it," it was an empty threat andTristan left the room, not wanting to watch her any longer. He was growing tired of her. If he kept going, he would lose his temper and beat her until she couldn't stand. A truly sadistic smile came across his lips as he thought about Tommy.

He headed to the kitchen, keeping an ear out to see if she made any attempt to leave. He opened a drawer near the stove. The silver glinted in the dim lighting. His hand slipped in and pulled out a butcher knife. He wanted to scare her into submission once more. "Oh, Kimberly," he called out as he walked back to where she was. He held the knife up and her eyes went wide with fear. "Go to the living room. Do not make me drag you" he ordered. She obliged.

He shoved her to the couch and stood against the door frame, eying her coolly. She felt another stab of fear and kept her eyes on the knife.

"I have decided. I will not beat you any more tonight. Be happy of that. I wouldn't want to ruin you so close before your competition. Instead, you are going to write Tommy a little letter for me. I will dictate and you will write. If you disobey me, I will make your life a living hell afterwards. Now, take a piece of paper out of the side table and write exactly as I tell you."

She nodded stiffly, her body screamed with pain in even little movements.

He paced the floor, deciding how he wanted to go about this. He smiled to himself and looked back in her direction. "Write everything I say, got it?" Without waiting for her reply, he said, "Dear Tommy…" Oh yes, he had a plan alright. He would break up Tommy and Kimberly's relationship for good. He would make Tommy hurt emotionally. She competed next week; he knew without a doubt that he would be watching her. He would send the letter to Tommy right after the competition.

--  
_Teaser to Chapter 5_A/N: I got this chapter out faster than I had expected. So, now Chapter 5 will be delayed unless I have more free time. R&R!

The mailman couldn't help but smile when he noticed who the letter was going to. Why it was being sent to the Youth Center, he would never know.

"Hey Ernie," the man called. "I have a letter here for Tommy Oliver. Will you make sure he gets it?"

The man, Ernie, chuckled and nodded his head. "I assume it's from Miss Hart? Good, good. Tommy will be thrilled to hear from her...Maybe it says when she'll be coming home for good. She just won Pan Globals, you know."


	5. Something to Live For

Chapter 5: Something to Live For

"Hey guys," a well-rounded man called from behind the bar at the Youth Center to the small group of teenagers. "It's about to start! I know none of you want to miss this. Especially you, Tommy, I know that you've been looking forward to this. I don't think you'd forgive yourself if you missed this...And neither will I," the man laughed as the teenagers scrambled closer to the counter.

A good round of laughs followed as they each took a seat. Tommy, along with Billy Cranston, Adam Park, Tanya Sloan, Rocky DeSantos, and Katherine Hillard all moved closer to the television that sat on a shelf above the bar top. Ernie, the beloved owner, turned to the television and turned up the volume so everyone would be able to hear it that wanted to. "There, that should do it," he said and leaned against the counter, his attention completely on the television before them all.

"Thanks, Ernie," Tommy said as he moved to one of the barstools. The others followed suit, each one of them had their eyes glued to the television set. The Youth Center was unusually quiet as the two announcers came on the screen. It was like everyone was holding their breaths. They all knew what day it was.

"Good afternoon, America! This is Jeff Hunters and I am here in the beautiful state of Florida, home of Pan Globals this year! We are very proud to bring you this competition."

"That's right, Jeff. But before we actually show the audience what they want, a commercial break from our sponsors," said the second announcer, Aaron Stump.

Back at the Youth Center, the small group of teenagers laughed, all shaking their heads. They were all anxious to see their Kimberly perform. Even though she had been gone, everyone that ever went to the Youth Center knew where she was and what she was competing for, sort of like a hometown hero.

"Hey Ernie," called Rocky as he leaned forward to look past his friends' heads, "How about a cheeseburger with my usual trimmings? I'm starving!"

This brought on a new bout of laughter from the group. It was well known that Rocky was like a bottomless pit; he was always hungry.

Ernie just shook his head while laughing as well. "What would you do if I said no," he said as he moved back towards the grill to get the order started. The smell of cooking meat reached their noses, and Rocky looked as if he was about to start drooling in anticipation.

"Then you would lose one of your biggest customers," Tanya said as she nudged Rocky in the side. "If he stops coming here, then what would you do, Ernie?" The girls just giggled, for some unknown reason that only they understood.

"Yeah," chimed in Kat, "What if you went out of business? Then where would we hang out?"

Ernie shrugged as he flipped the burger on the grill. "I suppose I'd have to find something to replace him. I don't think I can find another person with the same size stomach as Rocky's. It might have to be two or three people. But have no fears, Kat," he said looking to each of the teenagers, "It would take a lot more than that to make me give up this place. It's my life."

They all laughed once more and Ernie set the burger down in front of Rocky, "Dig in."

Before Rocky had the chance to respond, he was shushed by Billy. "Quiet. It's back on," he said indicating back to the announcers that had appeared on the screen once more.

"Well, folks, the time has finally come to get this rolling. We will try to keep our opinions to ourselves as much as we can. We make no guarantees though," Jeff said with a huge smile and turned to his partner.

"You may not be able to keep your thoughts to yourself, but I surely can," Aaron said, returning the smile and they both turned back to face the screen. "Of course, what we think doesn't count, sadly. It's all up to the judges now. These people have trained their hardest. All of them are looking for the win. Hearts are going to be broken today. Hope they are prepared for what could happen."

"And people, believe us when they say that they have really trained," Jeff turned his head to Aaron. "Have you heard about some of their schedules? They start bright and early and end way into the night. They have such dedication, it's amazing."

"Are you kidding me? I can barely wake up at eight in the morning. I don't know how they can wake up at least two hours earlier and be expected to still put out their best efforts, even if they are sleepy. Props to them," Aaron said appreciatively. "Now, turn your attention to the mat to see the routines!"

The camera shifted to take them out of focus and the people across America could see the famous mat laid out on the floor.

"Oh, look at her outfit," Katherine said as the first girl walked out onto the floor. "It's gorgeous! It would make a really good ballet outfit too," she said thoughtfully with a finger at her jaw.

"Shhh," came the chorus of reply and they all sat glued to the screen as the first woman started her routine.

"Amelia Thorne chose a good song for her routine," Jeff said softly, even though Amelia wouldn't be able to hear him.

"She's quite graceful. It says here that she's been in ballet since she was four and gymnastics since she was seven. I guess all of that work has really paid off," Aaron stated as Amelia started to do cartwheels across the floor. "She must be nearing the end of it. Look at how effortless she makes this seem! And there's her signature move," he couldn't help but shout as Amelia landed her final move, a spread eagle into a final backflip.

"She stuck it beautifully," Jeff said, "Now let's wait to see her score," as the judges held up what they thought. "Wow, it's going to be a tough score to beat. Ladies and gentlemen, Amelia Thorne just scored a twenty two out of thirty. I wonder how the other girls feel about this. The bar had already been set high enough as it was. Now it makes it that much more difficult."

"I don't know, but I bet they're nervous. Let's now go and see what she thought of her performance and score."

"I don't think she was that great," Adam said with a shake of his head. "She was a little off beat."

"Of course you don't. We'll say that about everyone for the simple reason that one of our best friends is there and we want her to do extremely well," Rocky said with a grin of glee. "It's a biased opinion so our's don't count."

"She's going to win," Tommy said with an air of confidence. He knew his beautiful was going to be the best that was there. "I have all the faith in the world in her." He was still a little down about not being there to cheer her on. But if she had done horribly because of him, he would blame himself for the rest of his life.

"Miss Amelia," said pretty reporter who now stood beside the young woman, "How do you feel about your routine?"

Amelia chuckled and flashed a bright smile at the cameraman. "I think it went extremely well. I don't think I made any mistakes, but that's for the judges to decide. Even if I don't win, I did my best and had fun while doing it. I couldn't ask for more."

The reporter nodded, "And that was Amelia Thorne, to those who watching. Well, it was a pleasure talking to you. Now, back to the mat."

The screen changed back to the next performer and the ones that followed her. Back in Angel Grove, they were getting a bit impatient and didn't pay attention to the next girls, no matter how good they were. They wanted to see one girl in particular. The scores went down, no one coming near Amelia's score. And finally…

"Finally, Kimberly Hart, is up next," Jeff said and the Youth Center erupted in cries of joys and applause from everyone. After the brief noise change, everyone settled back down and had their attention turned fully to the screen now. This was it. The big moment.

"That's right, she's one of Coach Schmidt's girls. We have come to expect great things from the girls he trains. After he's done with them, they usually go on to bigger and better things. Let's hope he doesn't let us down now," Aaron said and immediately hushed.

Kimberly, dressed in a rhinestoned baby pink leotard with white stockings, stepped onto the mat. She put on her best smile for the camera and waited for her lyrical music to start. She looked as confident as ever, but Tommy noticed that something wasn't quite right, but he couldn't place his finger on what. He didn't dwell on it, thinking it was just her nerves.

The music started and sounded as like everyone held their breaths in the Youth Center. Up on her toes she went and moved into the pirouettes across the floor in a straight line. With each spin, her arms rounded and straightened back out in unison.

"Look at that," Jeff said softly, "it's so…pretty. She's so in control of her body."

Kimberly reached the center of the floor, pausing briefly. One leg went up high into the air, her foot almost touching her ear. Just like Tommy had seen her do in practice when he visited all of those months ago. What was good then now looked perfected. He couldn't see a thing that was wrong with her performance. She was his Beautiful and she was grabbing her dream for all it was worth.

"Oh, look at that flexibility," Aaron said as she moved into an arabesque. They all watched as she lowered her leg and jumped into a quick spread eagle, "And that height!"

Once she landed back of the floor without stumbling, she took off into a slow run and launched her body into a double twist to get the crowd started. Once she landed, the crowd roared in appreciation.

Tommy could see the look of happiness on her face as she went on with her routine as if she didn't have a care in the world. This was her stage.

Several backflips came next, all in succession with the last one ended no handed. She moved her hands behind her for a back handspring but turned it into an Arabian front instead. Not to get distracted by the "oohs" and "aahs" that she kept hearing, she moved into a handstand with her legs straight up in the air. From there, she moved her legs into a split and brought them back together. Once back upright on her feet, she had a look of determination was clear of her face. She moved into a quick round off, both feet hitting the mat at the same time. Disrupting the music was the alarm; she only had a few more precious seconds to make the impression. It was now or never.

"Here it is folks, her last move…." Jeff trailed off as she went into a whip back. Her backwards somersaults were amazing and her hands never touched the ground. She jumped into the air, going into the pike position and moved into a front salto from two feet into a punch front. Once she landed it easily, she threw her arms back and smiled, just as the music ended.

The crowd there and at the Youth Center roared.

"Oh wow, she was completely amazing!" Katherine gushed. "Better than ever!"

Tommy just smiled happily and pulled everyone into a group hug. They all now sat huddled together, watching the screen.

"Oh, I hope they go to interview her," a new voice said behind the group, one they recognized.

"Are you kidding me," another voice said immediately afterwards, "if they do, she'll never shut up," a woman's voice said playfully.

Astonished, the group turned around and saw the three newcomers, all smiling just as happily.

"Jason," came from Tommy.

"Trini," from Billy.

"Zach!" shouted Rocky.

"In the flesh," Zach said and bowed down as if he was royalty. "You don't think we'd miss this, did you? Look how well Kim just did! That's one of my best friends," he yelled proudly. "That girl still amazes me. I knew she was good, but that just took my breath away."

"She is to all of us," Trini said and playfully punched Zach in the shoulder. She turned back to the group. "Well? Aren't you going to say anything else but our names?"

"We would, but Kimberly's getting ready to learn her score, then they're going to interview her. We're going to be here for a while…And I'm hungry again," Rocky moaned.

"Be quiet!" came a cry from all around.

Back on the television, the same reporter stood by Kimberly. They both looked up at the board, waiting for her score. Finally, the bright twenty seven showed up and Kimberly cried out for joy, along with everyone else. "Miss Hart, how does it feel to win the floor exercise area?"

"It feels totally wonderful, like nothing else I've ever experienced," Kimberly said happily. "It's what I've wanted my entire life. It had been my dream ever since I could remember and to have finally achieve it...I don't have the words to express how thrilled I am."

"And do you have anything else to say," the reporter prodded.

Kimberly nodded and looked at the camera. "Indeed, I do. Thanks to my Coach who helped me get through everything. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have made it this far. I owe him a lot to him. And to my best friends back in Angel Grove, I know all of you are watching! Thanks for all of your support. It means a lot to me. I love all of you!"

Back at the Youth Center, they watched Kimberly accept her medals for Pan Globals. They all breathed out in relief, it was finally over and she would be home soon. Things would be perfect once more.

The people that were in the Youth Center gradually began to leave after the medals were given out. It was growing later and they all had their lives to get back to. They were proud, even if they had known Kimberly personally or not. They watched her perform on television where she used to hang out, where she was discovered. It wasn't something that everyone could have said.

"Celebration time!" Ernie called and started to make his famous smoothies to pass around to those who were still left.

"So Tommy," Jason said as he took a seat beside his best friend, "How does it feel to be dating her now? My little sister..."he said fondly.

"It couldn't be better. I'm going to have a surprise for her when she gets home," Tommy said with a nod and lowered his voice so only Jason would hear him, "I'm going to ask her the question."

Jason shook his head, grinning. "Ah, I knew this day would come only too soon," he said just as softly. "I know she's going to be thrilled when she finds out. Good luck, man. If you want to keep it secret, I suggest you not tell anyone else. It'll get back to her before you know it," Jason said wisely. He knew, as well as Tommy, how close the girls were. There were no secrets between any of them. It just felt right to tell Jason.

After the celebration that lasted well after two in the morning, Jason, Trini, and Zach declared they had to get going. They still had their families to see before they took a plane back to Switzerland.

"We're still needed in Switzerland, we only came in for the weekend to see Kimberly perform and we're heading back sometime tomorrow night," Trini said as she yawned and rested her head on Jason's shoulder. Tommy smiled, glad to see that Jason and Trini seemed to be a couple. He knew that Jason had harbored a lot of feelings for her.

"Any idea when all three of you will be back," Billy said hopefully. He had only one of his first best friends there with him now, and he wanted the other four back so things would go back to how they were. He missed them.

All three shook their heads sadly. "We don't know an exact date, but I know it'll be before graduation. We couldn't miss that either," Zach said.

"Ok, guys, even though I know it's a special night, it's well after two. I should have closed hours ago. I hope none of you mind that I'm kicking you out for the night," Ernie said as he started to wipe off the counter top. "Of course, all of you are more than welcome tomorrow, just like always." He missed having all of his best customers all at his bar. He was hoping that sooner or later, the kids that he watched grow up would all be back. The only person missing, besides Kim, was Aisha Campbell from this happy reunion.

"Of course," Tanya said guiltily.

"Sorry for keeping you so late," was Rocky's reply.

Before anyone else could say sorry, Ernie waved his hand to dismiss their words. "No worries, guys. I wouldn't have traded this night for the world. I can't think of anywhere else I would have rather been. All of you get home safely. Bye you guys."

They all said their goodbyes to Ernie and moved toward the door, all still chattering about the night's various events.

"Can we all meet up sometime tomorrow before you all have to go back to Switzerland? It'd be worth the time," Tommy said as the group walked outside of the Youth Center.

Goodbyes were said and they all headed their different directions. They all knew that their parents were probably wondering what was keeping them out so late. All of the teens were hoping that their parents would let it slide because of the competition. More than likely, they all would and no trouble would come out of it.

At home, alone in his room, Tommy undressed and climbed into his bed. With his hands clasped behind his head, he smiled up at the ceiling. It would be any day now, and his love would be home. He wanted to throw her a welcome home party, but since he didn't know when she'd be home, he couldn't plan a day for it to happen. He would wait and see what happened. It couldn't be all that long before she would be home. If things went the way he wanted, he would ask Kim to marry him the day or so after she got home. And since she had already graduated early, he was thinking she would attend some community college classes and plan their wedding for after graduation.

He was content. "Good night, Beautiful. I'm waiting for you," were the last words out of his mouth as he fell into a deep sleep.

That was a week ago, and everyone was anxious as ever. Tommy, Katherine, Rocky, Aisha, Adam, and Billy were all on pins and needles; they were waiting to hear back from Kimberly, whether it was by phone call or if she showed up on her own. So far, no one had heard a thing from her. When they tried to call her, it went straight to voicemail. No matter how many messages were left, she never responded to any of them.

"She probably wants to surprise us all," Billy reasoned one day. "We all know what she's like. She's probably keeping us waiting on purpose."

The group seemed to accept this reason, but it didn't ease any of their minds. Tommy was the most anxious; he had been since Jason went with him to pick out Kimberly's engagement ring. He reached into his pocket to make sure the small black box was still in his pocket. He kept it with him in the case that she randomly showed up one day. He would stick with his plans.

It took Tommy and Jason forever to decide on a ring that Kimberly would adore. After so much effort, Tommy found the perfect one for her. It was a diamond in the shape of a heart set in white gold with a pink sapphire on each side. It took his breath away every time he looked at it. Jason even said that she would love it, and Jason was the only guy, aside from Tommy, that knew Kimberly so well.

"Well, while I'm here, I might as well go do something to keep me occupied," Tommy said and moved towards the weight lifting machines in the corner of the Youth Center.

Adam moved with him to be a spotter. "Ok, Tommy, let's see what you got. Set of fifty. Start when you're ready."

Tommy lifted his arms and gripped the bar with the weights. As he bench pressed them, Adam stood above him and counted. "Doing well, like always, maybe we should add more weights next time…" Adam said and trailed off with the thought. "Maybe we should make it a little bit more of a challenge for you. These weights just don't seem to be doing it anymore."

The rest of the group wandered over to watch Tommy do his reps, each encouraging him and teasing him for fun. They were all so absorbed in each other that they didn't notice a person heading to the bar, toward Ernie.

"Alright man, you have two more sets. You ready?" Rocky egged him on. "I don't think you can do it."

"I was born ready," Tommy said at started another rep with Adam and Rocky coaching him on.

The mailman couldn't help but smile when he noticed who the letter was going to. He had delivered many letters to the Oliver residence over the past few months. Why it was being sent to the Youth Center, he would never know.

"Hey Ernie," the man called. "I have a letter here for Tommy Oliver. Will you make sure he gets it?"

The man, Ernie, chuckled and nodded his head. "I assume it's from Miss Hart? Good, good. Tommy will be thrilled to hear from her...Maybe it says when she'll be coming home for good. She just won Pan Globals, you know," he said proudly as he took the letter from the mailman.

The mailman looked at him as if he was crazy. "Of course I know that. I don't think there's a person here that doesn't know who she is. But I have to continue. See you later, Ernie," and the man walked back out and didn't give the letter another thought. He went on with his other duties.

Ernie grasped the letter and looked over at the small group and smiled. It seems like his wish was starting to come true. He would have all of his "kids" back soon enough and he couldn't be happier. Without Kimberly there, it felt like there was a void in his life. She, along with some of the other members of the close knit group, had been visiting the Youth Center ever since Ernie opened it. It was for Kimberly that he installed the beam so she could practice when she wanted to.

"Hey Tommy, a letter came for you," Ernie said as he joined the small group at the weights.

"Yeah," Billy said with a huge smile, "It's from Kimberly." He just couldn't contain himself. The day that they all had been waiting for was finally here.

"Alright, cool," Tommy said and leaned back on the bench, "Hey Adam, will you do me a favor and read it? I have one more set to do," and moved back to grab the metal bar once more.

"You got it," Adam said as took the letter from Ernie and opened it. And he started, "Dear Tommy," he cleared his voice and continued reading. "Everything is going great here in Florida. Coach Schmidt has me ready as I'll ever be for the competition." He paused and looked around at the group, confused. Everyone looked at each other in confusion as well.

"Wow, that's a little late," Rocky said. "She already won Pan Globals!"

"What else does it say," Tanya asked curiously.

Adam just shrugged his shoulders and decided to keep on reading. He paused, finally saying "Tommy, this is the hardest letter I've ever had to write. You've always been my best friend and in some ways, you're like a brother, but something has happened here that I can't explain. It's both been wonderful and painful at the same time. Tommy, I've met someone else." He stopped and looked up at the group, shocked.

"What?" Katherine asked, just as confused as the rest of them, "That can't be right."

"Tommy, maybe you should finish this another time," Adam said with growing concern of how Tommy was taking the news of the letter. Tommy had already stopped pressing to listen intently to what Adam was reading.

"Let me see," Tommy persisted and reached around to grab the letter from Adam. Reluctantly, Adam handed it over. Tommy sat for a few seconds and started to finish reading.

"Tommy, you know I would never do anything to hurt you, but I feel like I found the person that I belong with. He's wonderful, kind, and caring. You'd really like him," he snorted and pressed on, "Everything would be perfect if it weren't for hurting you, but I have to follow my heart. I'll always care about you Tommy. Please forgive me. Kimberly."

The group was all stunned, each looking at the other and then to Tommy. It just couldn't be true. They were in love. They wanted to be with each other. What could have changed in just two weeks? This just wasn't like Kimberly. Tommy swallowed hard as if he was forcing something down his throat.

Finally, Billy was the first to speak. "You alright man," he asked with concern and put his hand on Tommy's shoulder. He knew that Tommy was hurting on the inside. He had know Tommy the longest out of those that were around him. It was pretty clear to all of them by now.

"Yeah," Tommy said bravely and put on a false face. He stood up and faced the group that looked at him with pity, "I have to go. I'll, uh, I'll catch up with you guys later," and turned away so no one else would be able to see the tears in his eyes that threatened to make themselves known. He felt crushed, his heart laying in the floor in millions of pieces. There was no other way to describe it. No one tried to stop him. They respected his need to be alone for now. In hushed voices, they talked amongst themselves, trying to figure out what had happened. But if Tommy didn't know, then there was no way that any of the others would know.

Tommy went to the only place he could think of; he went to the lake where he and Kimberly shared so many tender moments. They felt like forever ago now to him. All the way there, she stayed on his mind. Getting out of his vehicle, he headed towards the water, shimmering from the mid-day sun glinting off the surface. As he walked along the shoreline, he played their entire relationship together in his mind. Their first meeting by her locker when they introduced themselves, the various times they all went out as a group, their first kiss, their dance… By now, he couldn't help the tears that were flowing freely. He was heartbroken and devastated by the letter the love of his life sent to him. And for once in his life since he had met Kimberly, he felt utterly alone.

"Tommy," came a voice with an Australian accent.

_Teaser to Chapter _

"_Come on buddy, take just one hit. I've seen you moping around lately. Take a hit. It'll take your mind off of all of your problems. I promise you," one of Tommy's "new" friends said as he held out a white rolled object out to Tommy." _

_Tommy couldn't deny; he still didn't feel right about the break up. It was so abrupt and he was left wondering why. He couldn't shake the feeling of his heartbreak. He would rather be in physical pain than go from this. Worst of all, it was from someone who he thought would never hurt him like this._

_Tommy slowly reached for the small object, bringing it closer to his lips, inhaling. _

_A/N: Ok, so I was completely heartbroken when I had to write this chapter; I won't even lie. It will probably be revised when I have the time to go back over it completely. Chapter 6 will be up sometime next week! R&R! Hope you're enjoying it so far. _


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